WCD Bearing Blocks

[craigboez]

Originally Posted by ablatner

Usually the side plates actually ARE the bearing blocks. The bearings are in the two side plates which fasten together from opposite sides of the tubing.

It sounds like there are two common ways to create the bearing block assembly.

1. Use two sideplates and a block of aluminum. The bearings go in the aluminum block, the sideplates hold it all together and clamp it in place. The machining for this setup is relatively simple.
2. The two sideplates become the bearing block and are constrained coaxially with a short piece of thick walled tubing that connects them. The machining for this setup is comparatively complex.

Is that a fair statement? If so, what are the benefits to method #2?